Betty Gillies was an American aviator who is best known as the first pilot to qualify for the Women’s Auxiliary Ferring Squadron, later known as the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). Betty Gillies was born on January 7, 1908. She was raised on Long Island, New York. In 1928, while she was a student nurse at Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, Betty began taking flying lessons. With a total of 23 hours of flying time, she obtained her pilot license on May 6, 1929. She immediately began building more flight time to obtain her commercial license. She joined The Ninety-Nines, an international organization of women flyers led by pioneer woman flyer Amelia Earhart, in November of 1929. The Ninety-Nines got their name because of the 99 women who were present in the first meeting. Betty was among the first 99 at the meeting. Between 1939 and 1941, she served as president of the Ninety-Nine and led the fight against the Civil Aeronautics Authority over the prohibition for women to fly during pregnancy. Betty married Brewster Allison Gillies, vice president of Grumman Aircraft Corporation, in 1930. Gillies became the first pilot to qualify for the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron in 1942. By this time, she had accumulated 14 years of flying experience, totaling 1,400 flying hours. In 1943, Gullies became the first woman to fly the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, a World War II ear fighter aircraft that carried eight .50 caliber machine guns and held a bomb load of 2,500 pounds. Gillies would later be qualified to first pilot, or aircraft commander, on the Boeing B-17 aircraft. In August of 1943, the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron and the Women’s Flying Training Detachment combined to form the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). Gillies remained squadron leader of the WASP until arrangements with the United States Air Force were disbanded on December 20, 1944. After the war, Gullies became the Chair of the All Women Transcontinental Air Race from 1953-1961. In 1964, Gillies was appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson as the first Federal Aviation Administration Women's Advisory Committee. Betty and her husband had three children, one however sadly passed away at the age of 4. Her remaining son and daughter became commercial pilots, and four of her grandchildren became pilots as well.

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